Easily Scalable Shell-Structured Copper Catalyst with High Activity and Durability for Carbon Dioxide Hydrogenation

Area of Science:

• Catalysis
• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) is crucial for controlling catalytic active sites.
• Encapsulation of metal particles by oxide layers is a common SMSI outcome.
• Developing stable and active catalysts for CO2 conversion remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel catalyst with enhanced properties for CO2 hydrogenation.
• To investigate the mechanism of ceria shell formation on copper nanoparticles via SMSI.
• To evaluate the catalytic performance, including activity, selectivity, and durability, for CO2 hydrogenation.

Main Methods:

• Formation of an amorphous ceria shell on copper nanoparticles under mild gas conditions.
• Utilizing a Cu-Ce solid solution to promote surface oxygen species transfer.
• Testing the catalyst's performance in CO2 hydrogenation, focusing on low-temperature activity and high-temperature durability.
• Assessing catalyst stability against sintering and performance in a bench-scale reactor.

Main Results:

• An amorphous ceria shell was successfully formed on Cu nanoparticles, inducing strong metal-support interaction.
• The Cu-Ce solid solution facilitated surface oxygen transfer, leading to shell formation.
• The catalyst demonstrated high selectivity for CO production in CO2 hydrogenation with enhanced low-temperature activity.
• Excellent durability was observed due to the sintering-preventing effect of the ceria shell, with no performance loss in a bench-scale reactor.

Conclusions:

• The developed Cu-Ce catalyst with a ceria shell effectively catalyzes CO2 hydrogenation to CO.
• The catalyst's structure provides high activity, particularly at low temperatures, and robust durability.
• The findings highlight the potential of SMSI engineering for designing advanced catalysts for CO2 utilization.